This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly and in particular to an electrical connector assembly having integral means for securing the assembly to a printed circuit board.
Techniques exist for providing electrical connectors with integral means for being secured to a printed circuit board. One such prior art technique is disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 786,456 filed Oct. 11, 1985 assigned to the same assignee as the present application, in which drawn rivets each having a flange, a tubular shank and a generally conical closed end tapering from the shank to a tip remote therefrom are utilized. The shank has elongate slots therein which are generally parallel to the axis of the shank, each rivet being received in a hole through a respective flange and subjected to axial compression so that the slots open and the shank expands radially between the mounting face and the closed end. When the connector is assembled to a printed circuit board, the expanded portion of each shank compresses radially to comply to the printed circuit board hole and provides retention until contacts in the connector are soldered to the printed circuit board.
Another technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,618 wherein holes in the ground strap have a plurality of inwardly directed tines in wiping engagement with the mounting hardware. The tines retain the mounting hardware as part of the connector assembly until the connector is secured to a printed circuit board whereupon the tines continue to function as an electrical path between the ground strap and the mounting hardware.
While each of the above techniques provides a satisfactory integral means for being secured to a printed circuit board, the former requires axial compression of the rivet after insertion and the latter requires a special metal shield in which the group strap holes have inwardly directed tines. The present invention dispenses with special requirements of the prior art techniques and provides an electrical connector assembly with integral means for securing the assembly to a printed circuit board that can be fabricated from a standard, stocked electrical connector. Upon receipt of an order, a stock item could be modified to include the integral securing means rather than stock two assemblies.